A future king is born

Kate Middleton and Prince William had their baby–a boy who may well succeed his grandfather Prince Charles and his father to someday be king of Great Britain. The succession law had been changed so that a firstborn girl could inherit the throne directly as Queen, even if she has a brother–the earlier law giving precedent to any male heir–but that’s a moot point now, as England is set to have three kings in a row after Queen Elizabeth.

The name of the baby has not been announced as of this moment. (Any guesses? If the name is released, someone please post it in the comments.)

Some say that this baby would be the rightful ruler of these United States, that the grievances of our revolution were not sufficient grounds to throw off a lawful Romans 13 authority. At any rate, in the Treaty of Paris–one of our most important founding documents–the king of England grants the former colonies their independence, renouncing his claim to them, so that our current government is, in fact, legitimate. Still, what is the appeal of a monarch?

Some think our current democracy isn’t working all that well. Should we ask England to take us back? Then again, Great Britain is also, for all practical purposes, a democracy, with the monarch as the head of state with little political power. Might monarchs make a comeback?

From the BBC:

The Duchess of Cambridge has given birth to a baby boy, Kensington Palace has announced.

The baby was delivered at 16:24 BST at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, west London, weighing 8lb 6oz.

The Duke of Cambridge said in a statement the couple “could not be happier”. He and the duchess will remain in the hospital overnight.

The news has been displayed on an easel in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace in line with tradition.

A bulletin – signed by the Queen’s gynaecologist Marcus Setchell, who led the medical team that delivered the baby – was taken by a royal aide from St Mary’s to the palace under police escort.

The document said: “Her Royal Highness, the Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son at 4.24pm today.

The Kensington Palace press release said the Duke of Cambridge was present for the birth of his son, who will be known as the Prince of Cambridge.

“The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry and members of both families have been informed and are delighted with the news,” it said.

And the Prince of Wales, in a separate statement, said he and the Duchess of Cornwall were “overjoyed at the arrival of my first grandchild.

“It is an incredibly special moment for William and Catherine and we are so thrilled for them on the birth of their baby boy,” he added.

“Grandparenthood is a unique moment in anyone’s life, as countless kind people have told me in recent months, so I am enormously proud and happy to be a grandfather for the first time and we are eagerly looking forward to seeing the baby in the near future.”